Episode 1 Watch Over Me

Hello. FASA. Michelle speaking.

Have you taken anything right now?

This programme contains some strong language

I'm going to get our crisis worker over to talk to you. OK?

We have sexual abuse, we have divorce,

we have bereavement -

is a huge one.

Give me anything life throws at you that's incredibly difficult

and I'll give you somebody trying to take away that pain with

either drugs, alcohol, prescription medication,

or all of them, in some cases.

OK, hold the line there. Right, don't go anywhere.

If someone's got something wrong with them physically -

a broken arm, broken leg - you can see it.

But you can't see what's inside people's heads.

And people are frightened to talk about what's inside their head.

Hiya, Lorraine. I have Helen on the line here.

She's just talking about killing herself.

OK, no problem.

The health and wellbeing of the nation

should have been looked at and should have been planned,

so that we actually started to treat those people from day one,

when the Good Friday Agreement was signed.

The legacy of that then is that we have ended up with

a big alcohol-consuming population

big benzodiazepines, big prescribed medication-consuming population,

and now we're seeing a big illicit drug-using population.

Are you there?

Helen?

Helen, are you there?

PHONE RINGS

-Are you Thomas?

-Yeah.

-Nice to meet you. I'm Hannah.

-Right.

-Hiya.

-Um, drug screening this afternoon, then?

-Yes.

-Yep.

FASA, the Forum for Action on Substance Abuse,

deals with the human fallout from drug and alcohol dependency.

It's a... It's just a small... a little, small part of the job.

Um, so he's been tested positive for benzodiazepines.

FASA supports anyone in need.

It was the first community-based charity here to offer

support for substance abuse, suicide,

self-harm and mental health under the one roof.

Do you think he's suicidal or...?

Their doors are open to anyone who asks for their help.

And through the work of FASA's staff,

we gained a unique perspective on the front-line battle

against substance abuse in Northern Ireland.

-'Hello.'

-Hello, Sharon.

-'Yes?'

-Sharon, my name's Alex and I work for FASA.

We've had a call from Ian this morning, um,

and he's not in a good place.

Basically he's saying he's going to take his own life.

This is just to remind me what I have to do.

And the order I have to do it in.

And the times and things I've got there. So...

PHONE CAMERA CLICKS

James is a community support worker.

If there's something happening on the ground,

he'll be one of the first people to know.

The intelligence he gathers is vital ammunition

in the battle to save lives.

We have to be able to work with any section of the community.

And because we're dealing with drugs and alcohol,

and we're dealing with community safety issues,

we're dealing with, um,

some social issues that people

don't like to actually say that's in their communities,

they have to be able to trust that we're doing the right thing.

-Are you doing a runner?

-THEY LAUGH

One of the communities James works closely with, has asked him

to assess the level of substance abuse in their area.

Should I be in the community house?

The community house only opens from 9.00 to 12.00, love. Why?

I'm looking for Margaret.

We're assessing and monitoring what the issues are.

If we fail to do this, we may miss something that's actually

quite important and could actually, potentially, um, kill people.

It's a lot tidier than the last time I was up.

I mean, there's not a much lying about.

It's only lately that all night long it was happening,

it was terrible.

And the police came round and then

the paramilitaries shifted them and, you know...

Yeah.

I was glad I bumped into you there.

Eddie is a community worker

and has serious concerns about the drug paraphernalia lying around.

This is bad up here.

This is even worse than when we went the last time.

Is that the stuff that you can buy?

-Oh, it's... Aye. So...

-It's like chemical powder.

-It's legal highs.

So that's your China White.

Legal highs are research chemicals which they have put in place

to actually replicate drugs.

It could be cannabis, it could be cocaine and things like that.

These are diarrhoea tablets.

So these have been either bought or stolen from a local shop.

So they must be using the powder to fill the capsules.

James suspects the capsules are being split,

the powder inside used as a bulking agent mixed with legal highs,

put back in the capsules, then sold as an illicit drug.

And this is different.

James has never come across such a concoction before.

These have all been used.

There's a whole box of Imodium went off the shelf.

Um...

Oh, my goodness.

That's off the shelf. That wasn't bought. That's been...

There's a couple of hundred pounds sitting there alone.

This is like an... It's an outside factory.

We don't want this to escalate.

We want to try and stop this before it actually

escalates into something that's out of control.

FASA is concerned the find could be the start of a new drug trend.

James's boss Alex recommends they alert the Public Health Agency.

See the drug dealers with their greed,

you know, putting toxic substances in just to bulk it up.

Not caring about, you know,

is this going to kill people taking this or not?

And then the young people are, you know, indestructible.

"It'll never happen to me, it won't be me."

The Public Health Agency will assess

whether the risk merits a public health warning.

We are now in a new environment

of how people are misusing new substances.

And that's right across that range.

From over-the-counter drugs up to illicit drugs and alcohol.

It wouldn't be, would it?!

Is that the herbal cannabis? Poly drug misuse.

It doesn't smell like tobacco.

That combination of people being willing to take anything,

wanting to take legal highs, combination drugs with prescribed

medications, with alcohol, and don't see the added dangers.

Darren's on his way to meet a 21-year-old client.

He's worried his substance abuse is spiralling out of control.

The roads are a bit skiddy today.

When he first came to FASA, at the age of 15,

his mother had found him using cannabis.

He went through some of the motions six years ago,

but he wasn't really ready to make a change.

Tell us a bit about your alcohol

and substance misuse over the last wee while.

-The first time I did it I was 15...14, 15.

-Yeah.

And at school. Trying to be a big lad, smoking dope.

And drink, sniffing glue.

-Mm-hm.

-I took most of the drugs.

I tried heroin. I tried crack. I've tried most of them.

Decisions you make at the age of 15

-really can impact the rest of your life.

-Oh, aye.

Lee's been doing his best to wean himself off alcohol and drugs.

But a chaotic lifestyle has taken its toll on his mental health.

When we're thinking about the risk factors,

I'll run through a couple of the headings.

The first one is self-harm or suicidal behaviour.

Would you have any history in that?

-Yeah.

-Tell us a wee bit about it.

-Self-harm - cutting wrists. Um...

-When was that?

The last one would be six months.

Um, in hospital, going into hospital, so...

-It was kind of...

-I'm glad you didn't.

-I'm glad myself.

I'm glad myself.

Lee's drug habit has put a strain

on the relationship with his mum and daughter.

They're still in contact, but he's desperate to gain

control of his addiction to repair the hurt he's caused.

This is a stepping stone now. This is the pathway I keep.

I remember sitting with you at 15 years of age.

I was straight on the path of drink and drugs.

You are maybe getting a wee bit of a glimmer that there is hope.

There is hope. There's hope, but you have to get halfway to see it.

FASA will work with Lee for as long as he needs their help.

BACKGROUND CHATTER

That'll do. Thanks. We need our energy.

We need to get going in the morning.

'My first drink of alcohol was round about nine years old.

'And my first times of solvent abuse'

was round about ten years old.

We can't be efficient machines without fuel.

MICROWAVE BEEPS

OK.

Good man. Thank you.

What put the sparkle back in your life? Was there a FASA?

No. FASA wasn't born yet.

Um, at the age of about 15, 16,

'a youth worker came in to my life

'and asked could I come up to the youth club

'and work behind their tuck shop and help them out?'

I thought, "Is this guy for real?

"You know, am I going to nick all his Mars bars and steal all his money?"

But the fact that he showed that he believed in me was enough to

start me on the tentative journey of starting to believe in myself again.

THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

FASA's staff are trained professionals.

Why do you think people drink? Why do people drink?

-Because they like it.

-To have fun.

-To have fun.

But many draw on life experience to help them do the job.

What happened to me was my central nervous system started to shut down.

And I got really, really, really ill.

-Um, and it was through binge drinking.

-You got a sore head.

No, I didn't get a sore head.

I started to get chest infections, and pneumonia,

and things like that there.

So my body couldn't actually fight off infections.

-Um...

-You're really lucky then.

-Yeah?

'It got to a point where I was actually given two weeks to live.

'And that had a real'

major impact on my mental health.

-Where do you think would be the first place you would get it?

-Heart.

'There was nobody there for me to speak to. Nobody.'

Do you have somebody who's drinking a lot?

'I don't want other people to have that same factor,

'that there's nobody there for them to speak to.'

And you just couldn't stop?

-It can actually give you bladder cancer.

-Can it?

So you can get cancer in your bladder.

I'm eating a bit of chocolate.

Lee is the loveliest fella you could meet.

-His decision-making hasn't been the best over the years.

-Right.

But at times you would imagine he's his own worst enemy.

Unfortunately...

Paul has just started volunteering with FASA.

-..much more than he did.

-Right.

-Back then, it wasn't all that...

He'll be supervised by Darren.

What are the issues that he's really dealing with now?

He's been popping a lot of diazepam.

-OK.

-He's been taking a bit of Seroquel.

He has been drinking a fair amount.

-As far as I know, he's still smoking a bit of cannabis.

-Right.

-And we're going to suggest looking at a reduction of his use.

-Right.

We are going to suggest that he gives himself some goals

so that he can get some small wins under his belt.

For him to make that radical change,

there's going to be opportunities for him to slip, make mistakes,

feel sorry for himself and maybe go back to using.

Lee's been evicted from his hostel.

There's been a complaint about antisocial behaviour -

an accusation he denies.

So, what's the craic like?

-All good.

-All good. Had you been under the influence of anything?

-Nah.

-And you can remember everything really clearly?

-Everything. Yeah.

Everything.

How are you doing? I'm Darren from FASA.

FASA's priority now is to bolster Lee's mental resilience

so he doesn't give in to temptation.

If you're having cravings, keep yourself occupied.

You know, think back of the negative places that drugs has got you to

and potentially think about the future,

the steps you need to take now to stay out of trouble,

to potentially get you back on track again,

-to have that wee life you wanted to have.

-Yeah.

If you go back on the gear, if you lose control through alcohol

or other drugs, then potentially that sets you right back again.

Yep.

How does it feel when you hear a compliment?

-A compliment?

-Aye. Do you take it all right?

'I fear this evening, he will probably do what many people do'

in Northern Ireland, which is self-medicate.

You go back to what you know best.

You go back to what you know kills the pain.

You go back to what you know has worked for you in the past

when things are difficult.

I have a client I've been working with and he's found himself homeless.

Could you potentially recommend me anywhere that he might be able

to get his head down for a short period of time?

'He's going to be so low

'that suicidal thoughts could be creeping in again.

'That's a fear that I'll be taking home with me this evening

'and be concerned about it as soon as I wake up in the morning.

'And that's just what comes with this job.'

There's a chance of a crash facility, which is

a place just for this evening to get his head down.

Not perfect, but it's better than the streets.

James has heard some rumours.

The word on the street is that there have been

a number of drug-related deaths in Belfast.

We are looking at a potential six deaths.

Aha.

So we have one in Sandy Row, one in the Shankhill,

three in East Belfast and one on Ormeau Road.

'This is a new crisis that has came out of nowhere.

'And people will automatically link them.'

We need to make sure that, um, who the people are talking to,

that it's not just rumour-mongering.

They've died quite suddenly, feeling really unwell.

Convulsions and perhaps a heart attack.

There's obviously a potent stimulant in it.

There's a red Rockstar.

and that's actually supposedly ecstasy.

There's a brown Rockstar which has heroin in it.

The white one I think has coke in it.

Have the police not been able to get any of the tablets to test them?

Not yet, no. It's very early days.

If there's something that we can do,

as a community organisation or as a partnership of organisations,

that will actually reduce the risks of further deaths,

we need to investigate that.

There's no confirmation yet that the deaths are drug related.

FASA will work with a network of other agencies

to help establish if there is a new, lethal drug on the streets.

It's nice to get out of the office.

It's nice to do something that's informal,

where the client sometimes doesn't even realise that he's gone through

a therapeutic session, so yeah, should be good fun.

Lee's now moved into a new hostel organised by FASA.

This morning, Darren plans to help him set goals,

which will nudge him along the path of recovery.

Hopefully be up and fresh and ready for action.

Well...

What time do you call this?

Morning.

-Morning. How are you?

-I'm fine. Yourself?

-I'm good.

In brief interventions, we're taking people through a process

of helping them understand where they are at, emotionally

and with their drug habit,

and with their support structures and risk factors in their lives,

so we're looking at the big picture.

You HAVE been practising!

What was it like yesterday? With your daughter?

Brilliant.

-Is there any comparison?

-No.

'Even just a 15-minute brief intervention

'can really nudge someone in a different direction.'

Ah, what a shot.

So, when you look back, of all the times when you've been drunk,

of all the times when you've had any gear in your system,

of all the highs that you've had through chemicals,

compare that to the natural high of being with your daughter.

Is there any comparison?

No.

We will work out...how heavy is your drug use

and what problems is it causing? You know,

how hazardous has it become?

Even from that, it's helping the client to work out,

maybe it's time to make a change.

If the client's considering making a change,

we'll help them to weigh up the pros and cons.

And where you want to be is where, Lee?

All the things you're meant to do in life,

instead of running about, stealing, robbing...

..selling fags, you know, anything, to get money...

-Yeah.

-..Just for your next drink or your next smoke of dope.

'It's not only helping them to think about it,

'it's helping them to hear themselves saying it out loud.

'To actually hear that being said'

is enough for a client to say, "Well, if that is the case,

"I might actually start doing something about it."

So, Lee, this week, then. Goals?

No drink, no drugs.

Be occupied is one.

Keep myself occupied.

Throughout the week.

Anything, as long as it's not in the wrong company.

FASA pride themselves in the fact that we work in a way

that's totally non-judgmental.

Who are we to judge anybody?

We're just ordinary people like anyone else.

THEY LAUGH

That's a nasty one.

Sometimes you have to give yourself a wee challenge

to see if you can achieve something or not.

You treat people with respect,

the way you'd like to be treated yourself,

and you hold them in the highest regard you can.

Through that, they might start believing in themselves.

What is it that drives you?

I suppose the big thing is that you want to see...

In my heart, I want to see this guy making it.

He'll be one. I'm going to his funeral this morning.

Because he's linked in with all the other ones we're working with over there.

It's been confirmed one of the deaths is drug related.

All the things that I have planned over the next couple of days

have to be cancelled and moved about,

and we need to clarify exactly what we're going to be doing.

FASA and other agencies are working round the clock

to help establish if there is a new lethal drug on the streets.

Hello. I'm looking for Eddie.

For the moment, the public are unaware.

We've been given across information around a specific drug

that could potentially be harmful,

and we're trying to tie it down

to see if we need to be giving out an alert.

Um...they're fairly irregular.

All different shapes, all different sizes.

They're saying that they're crushing and sniffing them.

A bit stressed!

To be honest with you.

I've just had a chat with a local inspector in East Belfast.

We need to build up this information

so if there is the need for a drug alert

to go out from the Public Health Agency,

that we do that as soon as possible.

Listen, what time is...?

Quarter to one.

For now, James is taking time out to pay his respects

at the funeral of one of the young men who died.

How unusual is this crisis scenario at the moment?

Very, very unusual.

It's just about harm reduction.

It's about reducing the harm that's out there.

We're not going to be able to clean the street,

but we're going to be able to

at least give people an educated choice.

What we are worried about is that there may be further deaths.

Horrific.

She was just standing there.

We're seeing so many young people, so many...

young lads and young girls,

all in the prime of life,

and they're sitting and they've lost somebody really, really close to them.

Just as I was coming away,

we had been given drugs that have been handed in off the street.

There's a lot of flakes and things through it,

so we're believing it is a bit of a concoction of stuff.

But at least it's off the street, whatever it is.

It reinforces the importance of doing what we do.

PHONE RINGS

Good morning, FASA. How may I help you?

May I ask who's calling, please?

'It's not possible to connect your call.'

It's not possible to connect the call. Please try again later.

Sometimes you've got to turn the phones off

-at strategic moments.

-Sometimes, yeah.

Darren and Paul were due to meet Lee,

but he's gone missing.

I'll give him a ring.

It's certainly a set back. It's something that I hadn't planned for,

-but it's something that happens or a regular basis.

-What is it that keeps you so positive?

I don't know. I guess, for me, it's the experience of seeing

so many people coming through

and knowing that they can make it.

OK. I'm just going to try and pop you through...

More than 80% of clients

say they've reduced their intake or cut out substance abuse

after working with FASA.

My name is Paul. How can I help you?

Hello. Is that Lee?

It's Darren here. Where are you? Down the hostel?

Yeah?

I was a wee bit worried after hearing you were away at that party.

I've, in my diary, kind of pencilled it in already

with the hope that you'd be free. Half past two this Friday.

OK.

Well, I'll see you on Friday, Lee.

That'll do.

Take it easy. Bye-bye.

It's all good.

Alex is testing the white powder James was given at the funeral.

I'll just see if I can get an initial reading, James.

This is a multi-drug test, so basically,

it tests stimulant drugs like cocaine, amphetamine,

and then we have depressant and hallucinogenic drugs

like cannabis, and then you have opiates,

as well as benzodiazepines. So it's a depressant.

But they will be the most prevalent ones you'll be testing for.

So it's not positive for cocaine, amphetamines,

cannabis or opioids

but it is for benzos.

The test isn't sophisticated enough to pinpoint what's in the powder.

That's why they're so chunky.

You have cocaine, amphetamine.

It will have to be sent off for forensic testing.

It could take months before FASA finds out

if it's linked to the killer drug.

Is it diazepam?

'Collectively, we could do more.'

I think we need a fast testing facility

where we can actually test substances.

It is possible, but it's slow.

Give me a wee second.

Hold on a wee second.

Hello.

Could you ask where he's from?

FASA continues to pass on key community intelligence.

Hello.

Um...Glen, I'll get back to you. OK?

We have a couple that we're getting information across from.

They're talking about this hallucinogenic effect off of them.

Obviously, we're thinking that potentially will be your link.

INTERCOM BUZZES

'Hello.'

Hi, this is Paul from FASA for picking up Lee.

'OK.

'Paul, Lee's saying he's not feeling too well. He's lying in bed.'

-OK. So, he doesn't want to do it today?

-'No.'

-All right. Tell him I'll give him a call later.

-'OK.'

All right, thanks.

One of the that things people do when you're dealing with addiction

is to make promises that they really can't keep,

or they feel like that's what they have to do for other people.

It's just part of the game.

We can't force anyone into recovery.

It's definitely the old saying -

you have to hit rock bottom - and if they're not there yet,

they're going to continue to do what they do until they really need help,

and when they need help, you see the dedication.

No sign of Lee?

He didn't even come out to the door.

Put into the mix the chaos that people can live

when they're having substance misuse issues

and confidence issues

and mental health issues,

and all of that mixed together,

for me to hope that someone's going to attend religiously

for six weeks, or eight weeks or 12 weeks, or whatever it might be,

without failing, you know, I'd be a fool to believe that

that's the way it's going to be for everybody.

The PSNI has asked James to help assess drug use

in Belfast city centre.

Straight away, there's packets of legal high just there.

It's stinking in there. I would watch.

Herbal Haze is one of the common ones we're seeing.

Drugs are being taken openly

just a stone's throw from shoppers.

The usual research chemical infused pot pourri on the back of that.

And there's evidence illegal drugs are being mixed with legal highs.

..a 14-year-old buying this in the shops...

So we're starting to wonder, you know,

if this is a result of mixing the drugs?

As they approach Belfast Cathedral Quarter,

James and the police officer find drug paraphernalia

casually discarded.

DTA! Don't trust anyone!

Again, you can see commercially available pipes

that you can get in the area.

MEN SHOUT AND WHISTLE

Don't get involved in stuff that doesn't involve you, lads.

Fuck you!

THEY SHOUT

You're a cop. I know you.

SHOUTING CONTINUES

What do you mean?

-You don't know me.

-You're a cop.

You've seen how they reacted when they seen police there.

When we initially started dealing with antisocial behaviour in this area,

the kids were generally fairly compliant with us.

This has escalated to a stage where there is complete disregard

-for police.

-Yeah.

That's a new one. We haven't seen that one.

FASA's concerned casual drug use

is being fuelled by easy access to legal highs

sold in shops in the city centre.

There's a source here within the city

where it's actually attracting those young people to.

WHISTLING

It's not to say that all legal highs are coming from those shops,

but it's a direct access to our young people

and it's an availability that we would be concerned about.

All right.

Do you want to play house?

After missing an appointment,

Lee has re-engaged with FASA.

But he's on edge.

You can only bite your tongue for so long before you bite it off.

Lee reveals he hasn't yet taken the medication his doctors prescribed to help reduce his anxiety.

-Yeah.

-If I didn't get it,

it was back to square one.

-You think so?

-Oh, aye.

If I had to get medication today,

-I'd have been straight away drink or drugs...

-Yeah.

Straight away.

How do you know that?

That's the reason why I'm not taking drink and drugs,

-because I'm on the medication.

-Yeah.

If I didn't have that, it'd be drink and drugs,

because there's nothing there to give me that feeling that I like.

-Yeah.

-That I want, you know.

Was there a time before drink

and drugs that you were a happy, young kid?

I haven't felt normal in years.

What do you mean by normal?

-Sober.

-Right.

It's been four days

since speculation began about the drug deaths.

Could you send it to me by e-mail?

E-mail?

OK.

All right. No bother.

Yeah, the chief medical officer's released it.

Released the statement.

Behind the scenes, agencies like FASA have provided intelligence

resulting in a public health warning.

"I'm writing to highlight information in relation to a number

"of recent incidents including sudden deaths in the Belfast area

"which may be drug related.

"Where details are limited at this stage it appears that

"a number of unmarked white tablets which are believed to be ecstasy

"but have not yet been tested may be involved along with alcohol."

So it's not deviating from anything we're seeing, basically.

The media's going to pick up on it very, very quickly.

So we need to ensure the people have contact numbers and helpline

numbers so if they are worried about...something

they have taken or if they're worried about...their son,

daughter, whatever, that there is that help there

and that needs to get out there as soon as we can.

So, might want to say coloured and white pills, James, yeah?

Coloured and white pills.

Anyone needing help or support should contact FASA

and you have the other numbers and the names of the other organisations.

How unusual is this?

In terms of Northern Ireland, it's quite unusual.

I mean, from FASA's perspective, yes,

we have drug related deaths...consistent throughout

the year, people die from alcohol misuse, polydrug misuse,

taking other drugs, but when you get something that's actually...

at a distinct risk to the public, which is one pill, which is

potentially fatal, that's quite unique.

These here are referrals.

People that present at A&E with suicide ideation

or having had a misoverdose.

I had a phone call about 15 minutes ago, it was a member of the public

just asking, "Have you heard about dodgy ecstasy coming through?"

I said, "I can't say anything concrete,

"but we're heard rumours, stories and it would take autopsies and...

"..inquests and everything before we could say for definite what's

"been going on with some of the deaths we've heard about.

"But as soon as we hear anything, we'll have it up on our website."

That chief medical officer information needs to go up

-fairly quickly.

-We're going to do that.

-We've just got a statement from east Belfast as well.

-Brilliant.

Hello.

How are things? Yes, go on ahead.

They have just confirmed a death in the country linked in to

some of the information we give around "green Rolexes".

He said, they're probably at the point where

they could release another public warning around that specific drug.

Hello.

It is indeed, yes.

Hello, how you doing?

Eight deaths have now been confirmed as drug-related.

Could we possibly interview straight after you've done the programme?

Just on camera so we can have it pre-recorded? Is that all right?

Yeah.

A second public health warning is issued.

Up to eight people are thought to have died from taking drugs

they mistakenly thought were ecstasy tablets.

It's a really sinister development, then.

It is. It's a growing, real growing fear that we have.

Even the tablets we're talking about, you can still go on to Facebook.

FASA has started lobbying for a public awareness campaign

about the dangers of mixing drugs.

There's a lot of rumours floating about social media

and social networks.

They're meeting community activists on both sides of the political

divide to gather intelligence

that could kick-start the need for a campaign.

The thing I'm concerned about is the normalisation of the smoking

of cannabis on a daily basis, cos in many ways they're

shrinking in themselves, they're escaping from real life

and they don't realise the long-term consequences.

I have worked with kids starting to take drugs younger

and younger ages now, maybe nine, ten years of age,

they're starting to experiment, where a few years ago it would have been

13, 14, maybe 15 before they were starting.

And you start off say, all I'm going to take is a wee bit of blow.

And once you do,

you're very easily influenced to take whatever else comes along.

And they get to the stage where they just don't care what they take.

The feedback that we're getting, and what seems to be the issue

is that, you know, the drug-taking population are taking

multiple drugs on one evening,

and it's crossing over from alcohol and prescription medication

to illicit drugs, and then with the introduction now

of legal highs coming into play.

Is this something that yous are seeing on the ground?

One of the problems that we constantly come across is

the lack of knowledge on the ground, in our communities.

There's parents out there who don't know what to look for,

who don't understand the changing nature as to

how these sort of illegal and legal highs impact on communities.

A lot of people think that these legal highs are a watered-down

form of illicit drugs, or a copy which is not as bad.

You've seen some of these kids. It's...

-Never seen anything like it.

-It's potent.

I mean, it is really, really... It's equally if not stronger than

some of the illicit drugs that's on the market, and has effects

and side effects which I have never seen or come across before.

Very, very frightening.

And, really,

legislation just doesn't meet the need of the hour.

Quite right.

Just one single week, I had three different mothers coming to me,

young lads, 17, 18, who were totally caught up with the legal highs,

were starting to rob their houses.

One woman even had lost her wedding ring and her engagement ring,

that the child had taken and pawned to get money,

and they just didn't know where to turn,

and the kids at that stage, you just couldn't have talked to them.

I think in many ways, they need a good wake-up call. You know?

Some of the deaths recently, I think

that's brought about a lot of very positive action,

because the communities just don't want to see these deaths again.

Irrespective whether it's a Republican, Nationalist,

Loyalist, Unionist community, all have the same problems.

Drugs doesn't recognise an interface.

-What is it like out there?

-I think it's rife in our communities.

You know, it's like hereditary sometimes, in some of the families.

Maybe the mummy or the daddy had took drugs,

so it falls on to the siblings, but...

It's frightening to see

how many kids become entwined in all that, you know.

People are taking drugs so openly now and that's the scary part of it,

and I often hear people saying that it's only a wee bit of blow.

No matter what way you look at it,

it's a drug and it can lead on to other drugs.

The big problem is that the amount at which young people are taking,

and also the combinations.

So I think the one common denominator we're seeing

in a lot of the people who are being put in danger

-is that they're mixing that many substances together.

-OK.

You know, it's drink plus legal highs, plus prescription medication,

-plus whatever else.

-So it's like a cocktail of everything?

A cocktail of everything.

I remember one local parent who had lost a son to suicide had really...

Had been adamant that it was legal highs that had been part

of contributing to the young lad's death, but then, nearly as an aside,

you hear that on the same night that he was taking the legal highs,

oh, by the way, he was also smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol.

You would sort of think that kids would be aware of that, you know?

But, I mean, I wasn't really aware of the whole danger of it.

I knew that there was a bit of a danger in it,

but to sort of make it publicised that wee bit more.

'I think there's a will on both sides to tackle the drug problem.

'What we've got to do is educate

'the population on the dangers of mixing drugs together.'

Unfortunately, we've seen people lose their lives

because of not understanding fully what happens

when they take all those drugs together.

-What's the craic?

-Not much, man, not much...

Paul's meeting Darren to discuss his concern that Lee is becoming

too dependent on his prescription medication.

Lee wasn't in a good place. He was so nervous and anxious

about not having the medication in him...

-Yeah?

-..that he was foreseeing some trouble.

Like he was telling me that if he didn't get it soon,

it's not going to be good in the hostel.

And that's a thing.

If you believe something is going to happen down the line,

-there's a fair chance you'll live your way towards it.

-Mm-hm.

Like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Yeah, it was more like...

'For many of our clients, there's a fear that it's too scary'

to actually get off the drugs, because their life's going to be

empty without what they've known as their best friend, or as their

best coping mechanism, their best strategy to deal with

loneliness, and to deal with isolation and to deal with rejection

and all of the other things that people choose to use drugs for.

Is there any opportunity down the line to work with him

around his own responsibilities and his own skills,

and his own assertiveness and his own self-control,

and his own discipline, when it comes to himself,

you know, eventually taking his own medication?

Yes, we're going to have to look at that because he still has a hard time

accepting how well he's done.

Looking back from where you sit now, are you in a better place here now,

or do you want to go back down the same road

where you're crying out for help and you're not getting it?

-I'm still in that, kind of, position.

-You think you are?

In a way, you know...

Paul wants Lee to confront his dependence on prescription drugs.

You've come back to these meetings,

you've stayed sober, you've done so much stuff, so I want you,

for one thing, to say for me, from now on, not that I can't...

That's... You're...

THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

Because you're doing so well, so stop saying "I can't".

-I don't know how.

-I know how.

-I don't, because it's...

-I

-know how, buddy. You can change you.

-I know.

-And changing you will change your life.

-I've had people try.

-You can try.

-Give this stupid American a chance.

-Give it a try.

-Give me a chance.

'Lee has lived a very full life.'

We'll work it out.

That definition of yourself that you are a tough guy

and you have to perform certain tasks to remain tough, it's

hard to break that when that's the only belief system that you have.

-Are you having a crisis?

-I have a crisis every day.

Well, call me every day! LEE LAUGHS

'For Lee to be able to actually openly talk about the fact that'

he wouldn't choose to be sober, totally sober,

just actually him saying that is an opening for me to work on that,

cos I think that once he sees that there is a life out there for him

without the drugs, he will be willing to take small steps towards it.

So I think it's a positive thing, just to be able to talk about it.

Two days later, Lee was arrested and charged after an altercation.

He's been put on remand in Maghaberry Prison.

In everybody's recovery process,

there is between 5 to 7 to 15 turn-offs, relapses,

that we all experience, and it's such a vital part of recovery,

because people tend to say they can white-knuckle it,

they can just wake up on Monday and... Or choose a date -

New Year's Day or their birthday, and say, this is my last day

of doing something. It doesn't work like that.

The body needs time to withdraw.

The mind needs time to adapt to new circumstances.

Until his court case is over,

Paul and Darren will continue to work with Lee while he's in jail.

Our role is to just constantly be there,

showing him that there is an alternative, a path to sobriety,

and not be judgmental.

That was the photograph that I collected from South Belfast.

FASA and other community agencies have been invited

to a private meeting at Stormont.

I know the face.

The Chief Medical Officer, Michael McBride, has asked

for a briefing on the community fallout from the drug deaths.

I just want to hear from you first-hand, on the ground.

The meeting has been positive.

'We look at illicit substances and, working with the PSNI,

'putting protocols in place, which we have and we do.'

And it's about us all collectively working together -

the police, the Department of Health, and the community sector,

to work on the demand side and work on the supply side

and see what we can do to assist and help them with that.

-RESEARCHER:

-How difficult is it to work in a world where

you're navigating around that whole paramilitary underworld?

I suppose the difficulty has been, you know, trying to convince

those people that,

yes, there's a lot of money to be made in the drugs trade,

but, equal to the damage which was done in our communities over

the 30 years of violence, drugs were going to have a similar

if not a worse impact if we didn't stop them coming in.

So we asked them to engage with us at a level at which

we try to remove drugs out of their closed communities that

many of the young people we were working with came from.

Did you just accept that they were paramilitaries,

-and you just worked with them?

-Yes. Absolutely.

Much like the police do and the Government do on a daily basis.

So I just talked to, um...

Oh, my God. There he is, the man himself.

-What's up, man?

-What's the craic? All good?

-How are you, man?

-No bars, nothing.

-No.

-You're looking good.

-Not for a couple of hours.

-Good man.

Lee's been granted bail for just two hours.

To get released on full bail, he must have somewhere to live,

so FASA has organised an interview with a housing association.

Lee must convince them he's a suitable tenant.

How are you going to answer these questions?

-Honestly.

-Awesome. And you're going to just be very calm?

-Just be calm about it, aye.

-And be your charismatic self?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

I know what to do, I talk to them with my calm...

I'm a calm person anyway.

Is there anything you want to tell me about yourself

that I don't already know?

-I'm a good character.

-Yeah?

-I'm a good character.

I'm not the worst in the world, you know? Just trying to get on with it.

I'm definitely confident in his abilities to become a better,

-his best self, so I definitely advocate for him.

-OK.

When are you being released?

-As soon as you say...

-As soon as I say yes?

-Yes.

Right, OK!

Hopefully, pray, come on. Give me some luck in my life.

All right, thank you very much, Wilma. No, no, it's great news.

Thank you so much. All right.

-I got it?

-Yep.

Yes! Yes! Fucking yes!

All right, Wilma, thank you so much. He's really happy.

All right, thank you very much. Bye.

-Yes!

-You got it, man.

-Monday!

-You got it. That's great.

Right! Oh...

All right, let's go get you in. Come on.

All right, take care.

All right. Thank you.

-All right, thank you, sir.

-No worries.

Paul! I'll be in contact Monday.

Yeah, hopefully it's going to work out, buddy.

It's a very, very good day for me, personally, and for FASA.

Lee has been granted bail.

-So we're good, man.

-Aye, sweet.

-All right?

-Aye.

-SLURS:

-What'll I do with these?

-You excited?

-Oh, aye.

Paul's just picked Lee up from jail, and brought him to his new flat.

Here you go, big guy.

This is your place.

How does it feel?

Sweet, man, top of the world.

What?

LEE SLURS

'Unfortunately, Lee is high at the moment.'

He just got out of prison and he, um,

whether he bought drugs illegally or not in prison, he showed up high.

What time is it?

-7.30, I think. Let me just check.

-We need to go and get something to eat.

It's disheartening for me as a professional.

I feel like, you know, Lee is really not...

not taking this thing seriously.

Is he really going to go down the same path? But...

All I can do is just be here and support him,

you know, I've driven him from the prison to here.

I'm going to take him for dinner.

I don't think before I do my actions. I have to learn that.

That's one thing to work on.

-I want to be very honest with you, man, all right?

-Right.

I'm a little concerned about if you're taking this thing seriously.

What?

Your health.

I am.

Yeah?

Give me two weeks.

I'll give you two years, buddy. It's up to you, man.

-What are you going to give yourself?

-Credit...

-In the past, man,

when we were working together,

we were trying to build a support thing for you,

you were still getting high. You told me you weren't.

-Now and again, now and again.

-So tell me now, tell me now...

-It's to chill my nerves.

-What's different for you now?

It's to chill my nerves. It was to chill my nerves.

So if I see you this week and you tell me, "Yeah, Paul, I'm clean,"

-why would I believe you?

-I'll be honest.

This?

I hope so.

Because I don't want to give up on you, man.

-INTERVIEWER:

-How would he have got hold of those drugs?

I have never met one stupid addict,

because when you have that addiction, no matter where you are in the world,

you will get high. Prison is by no means...

..a barrier for getting high.

-Tickety-boo, man.

-Tickety-boo, man. Tickety-boo.

All right, man, take care, man.

-I love you, buddy.

-Thank you very much for the day, Paul.

No problem. You start thinking good about yourself, OK?

-Credit to work with yous.

-All right.

I mean, I see myself in Lee.

You know, I was there. I struggled.

When you see someone and you can have empathy for them

and you can see yourself in them,

all you want to do is reach out your hand.

So there is no giving up. You do the best you can.

Two days later, Darren and Paul meet Lee again.

So, Lee, what's the craic?

Where are we going first?

You seem a bit tipsy on it, chum. You must have took something.

Diazepam.

That's the lowest of the low.

-Couldn't get any worse.

-It's as low as you can get.

You couldn't get any worse. Except for in a box.

You know yourself, chum, that's where it's heading.

I've felt like it.

-So mate, where are you at at the minute? You've got your...

-My head's right up my hole.

Is that the way it's always going to be?

Would you rather feel down or would you rather feel happy?

-I'd rather feel happy.

-Right? That's...

If I don't take drugs, I'm down.

What can I do now? What can I do?

Everything I do, I do it right, but it always turns out wrong.

The fact that you are sitting here having a cry, that's good.

I grew up too quick. That's what's wrong with me. Too quick.

-But you're only 21.

-21, my life's screwed up already.

-Your life's only beginning.

-Yeah.

I need serious help.

-Is this one of the worst you've seen him?

-Yeah.

It truly is, eh, the worst.

The worst I've seen him, yeah.

Not just in the state that he's in with his intoxication.

But just how low he is and at a point of emotions.

How...dejected he's starting to feel.

Lee asks for a lift to his mum's to pick up savings he'd asked her

to keep so he wouldn't spend it on drugs or alcohol.

Lee, she says the money's been put away until you get better.

-Tell her to fuck off, I'm going over for it.

-She doesn't have any money at the minute.

I'll put in every window in the house. Give us the phone.

-Aye, I know.

-Give us the phone, please Darren.

Well, Lee wants a quick word with you. Just a wee second.

Mummy, I'm on my way over to your house now, so I am.

Well, I'm kicking your door in and I'm taking everything in the house.

You steal my money.

Get my money over here now or I'll burn your house to the ground!

Just get - get the f... money over! Get the money over now.

I'm finished with you. I'm finished with you. Just get the money over to me.

I'm on my way over now. Hang on. On my way over. There.

Lee, wait a wee second.

Lee? Lee?

I'm worried. You know, where's this going to end?

Where is it going to end?

You know, there is a bottom for most addicts that they hit

and they realise they can't go any further.

I'm not sure what he's at now. He's standing across - he's turned right at the end of the street.

Unfortunately, for a lot of people, the bottom is death.

And there's no coming back from that. And Lee at the moment,

I just don't think has grasped the fact that he has potential to live.

Where are you going?

One week later, Lee was returned to jail for breaking his bail conditions.

Good morning. You're through to Michael at FASA. How may I help you?

With no further news about the drug deaths,

there is a growing tension in the community.

PHONE RINGS

Yeah, hi. This is Paul from FASA. How are you?

So he's threatening to end his life at the moment?

Want to put him on the phone with me? Sure.

We got a crisis call from a mother

who has a son in the car who's threatening to end his life.

The mother heard about our services on the radio

regarding the legal highs epidemic in the Belfast area.

During a conversation with her son he admitted that he was using

these legal highs and his life was out of control.

FASA and other agencies have successfully helped lobby

for a public awareness campaign

to warn about the dangers of mixing drugs.

FASA have kindly drafted up a few images that I'd just like to pass around.

I'd be interested in everybody's comments.

Alex is helping shape the campaign,

along with representatives from the PSNI, the Public Health Agency,

Belfast City Council and other agencies.

The agreement at the last meeting was that we would try and develop

a picture or an image maybe around the rogue deaths

that have happened across the city.

And also, possibly, if FASA could go away and maybe do some local images.

This one here, I think, appeals to me in the sense that

if this could be brighter, the reality of the image of the child,

so more to the forefront, and just reaching down amongst all this,

reaching down to something like this, that, to me, is emotive.

We can do a photo shoot with lighting and everything else. That was very quick, taking someone out.

-Absolutely.

-This one here, "A Mate" is brilliant.

One of the strongest things we need to tackle here is that

people are dying in the streets of Northern Ireland from these drugs.

I think it's getting it into that psyche of the drug users

who think, you know, "It'll never happen to me or my mates."

The crucial thing for us is that the information that we provide

and gather needs to get to the people who are in danger.

And, you know, by doing things like today, you've got to go through

those strategic groups and get that message to them,

so that ultimately, on a wider scale, on a bigger scale,

that message does get out and ultimately save lives.

How's you, big lad? Good seeing you.

-Not sleep very well last night?

-No.

Plastic mattresses.

We'll go into room three, out of the way.

I'll be right down, OK?

The amount of thinking you do 23 hours a day...

"I shouldn't have done that wrong, I shouldn't have done that, I should have done this."

There's nothing really I can do. But as you say, it's a new slate now.

Definitely. And that's a lovely way to look at it, you know?

-Not an awful lot you can do about the past.

-Yeah.

But as you say, it's a clean slate. There's nothing hanging over you now.

The good thing about your past, buddy, is that you learn from it.

It's strange, you know? So I'm having to get them steps,

and get to do things, things that I haven't done sober in a long time.

-Yeah.

-So I have to get, you know, the hang of it.

The thing is, you can do it, Lee, if you put your mind to it, man.

You got so much willpower and dedication.

Well, before I wanted to do it for everybody else, you know?

I didn't want to do it myself. I really didn't, you know? It was selfish. It was stupid.

-You've got to start loving yourself, man, doing it for yourself.

-Yeah. So...

-It's a day at a time.

-One day at a time, big guy.

It's always a good day to see a client who's turned over a new leaf.

There will be more lows, there will be more highs.

But I think it will plateau to a certain extent,

where Lee will have a bit of balance, a bit of stability.

But I know that if he continues in this direction,

his life's going to be immense.

The reality is,

when someone is continually coming back and asking for help,

we as professionals have to be there to light those sparks.

Um... And inevitably, Lee's going to get it one day.

It is the unfortunate people that, for whatever reason,

don't reach out and feel that their current situation

is a permanent situation with no other way out,

but self-harming to the utmost level of taking their own life.

So, no matter how many times Lee will call, or any of our clients

will engage with us and disengage, and then want to be re-engaged,

when that phone rings, we answer.

PHONE RINGS

Hello, FASA. Michelle speaking.

Hello?

Hi, it's FASA. You called us?

OK, have you ever been to FASA before?

Next time on Watch Over Me...

What else would make you feel safe?

-Sitting in a corner...

-OK.

With a blanket over my head, wishing the world would go away.

What's the life that Alan has, that Alan wants?

-To actually settle down, have my own family.

-Wow!